From horses to horsepower

Wednesday

Since farmers transitioned from horses to tractors, equipment just keeps getting bigger and more high-tech.

Since farmers transitioned from horses to tractors, equipment just keeps getting bigger and more high-tech.

Agriculture’s mechanization in the 19th and early 20th century was a simple response to “the farmer wanting something to replace the horse,” according to Hiram Drache, the agricultural historian in residence at Minnesota’s Concordia College.

Today, farmers still use basic machinery, coupled with modern technology like the GPS so “you can sit in the tractor and it just guides you down the field,” he said.

By Drache’s estimate, farm productivity increased 75-fold from the 1800s to 1975.

Below are some ways standard farm equipment has evolved to be more productive over time.

Sources: John Deere; Case IH; Vermeer Manufacturing Co.; Hiram Drache

EQUIPMENT

Tractor: This farm staple grows ever larger, more powerful and fuel-efficient. Since the 1960s, the three-point hitch allows the operator to raise and lower equipment hydraulically. On-board computer systems let the operator program coordinates so the equipment can steer itself.

Chisel Plow: When farms began embracing no-till farming in the late 1950s, the chisel plow emerged as a more sustainable way to loosen soil without overturning it. On current models, the operator uses a digital panel to select exact furrow depth.

Combine Harvester: Combines have grown larger and faster since becoming popular in the 1930s. Today’s combines feature comfortable, high-tech engine cabs. Each new model can process greater amounts of grain in less time. The operator can adjust the blades and separators depending on the height of the crop.

Baler: Today’s machines can produce denser bales than older models. Modern balers also can wrap bales tightly in mesh or plastic before releasing them. While round balers remain the norm, square balers also have become popular. These bales are far easier for highway transport. Industrial balers also are common at recycling facilities.

Planter: Larger tractors allowed for wider drawn planters, offering more row units with less soil disruption. Technology also ensures that seeds are spaced precisely and can even automate seeding split rows of different crops. Newer models do all this at higher speeds.

SIDEBAR

Farm Museums

Interested in learning more about the evolution of farms? Check out a farm museum.

Features: This 281-acre farmstead is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Educational events range from prairie management to spinning wool. Social events include barn dances and harvest celebrations.

More info: www.garfieldfarm.org

Living History Farms

Where: Urbandale, Iowa

Features: This period-correct reproduced frontier village and working farm offers lantern-lit dinners complete with horse-drawn wagon rides and turn of the century-style farm meals prepared and served by historical interpreters.

More info: www.lfh.org

The Farmers’ Museum

Where: Cooperstown, N.Y.

Features: Ride a hand-carved carousel or amuse yourself with carnival games from the early 20th century at this cross between living farm and country fair. The main barn offers exhibits exploring farm life’s evolution through time.

More info: www.farmersmuseum.org

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